When I m Apart From You
by Melissa Norvell
Summary: AU. They say that seperation causes people to commit suicide. When you are destined to be with another, and a mysterious stranger appears,what happens when you decide the one your destined to be with is not the one for you? BankotsuXJakotsu R&R! COMPLET
1. A Moonlight Meeting

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Ok, here I go with my second fic that's Bankotsu/Jakotsu. It follows the storyline of an old Japanese legend called Peony Princess. I may twist the ending around. I'm not completely sure yet, but I hope you all enjoy this, it's for a contest at the website Undying Devotion. Wish me luck!

As always another thanks to TailFluffGirl for being my beta reader and putting my stuff on her lovely site ^_^

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When I'm Apart From You...

Chapter 1: A Moonlight Meeting

Many years ago at Gamogun, in the province of Omi, was a castle called Adzuchi-no-shiro. It was a magnificent old place, surrounded by walls and a moat filled with lotus lilies. The feudal lord was a very brave and wealthy man, Naraku. His wife had been dead for some years. He had no daughter; but he had a beautiful son with a strange taste in men, who was given the title of Prince. 

For a considerable period there had been peace and quiet in the land; the feudal lords were on the best of terms, and everyone was happy. Amidst these circumstances Lord Naraku perceived that there was a good opportunity to find a husband for his son Prince Jakotsu; and after a time the second son of the Lord of Ako, of Harima Province, was selected, to the satisfaction of both fathers, the affair having little to do with the principals. Lord Ako's second son had viewed his bride with approval, and he him. One may say that young people are bound to approve each other when it is the parents' wish that they be united. Many suicides result from this. 

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Prince Jakotsu sat at the open window of Adzuchi-no-shiro, the wind blowing through his raven hair. The evening set in, as did the setting sun. It filled the sky with many tints and shades of orange and red. He seemed to be in deep contemplation...But about what was the question.

The prince though to himself about the man his father, Lord Naraku had chosen for him. It was true, he was just about the only other man excluding him that had the same preferences as he, but something just wasn't right about all of this.

He wasn't really interested in him, nor did he see anything of him, but he though of him and spoke of him. He would have to make up his mind to try and love him for the sake of pleasing his father.

He had thought of the day they met, and how happy he was to find that there was at least one person like him in all of feudal Japan. Jakotsu remembered the salutation and the warm embraces. He remembered how kind he was, and his fairly attractive appearance. He was a nice enough man.

Perhaps being with him wouldn't be as bad as he thought...

As Prince Jakotsu thought to himself, time seemed to pass all too fast. Soon darkness fell over Japan and adorned it's dim skies with a vast number of twinkling stars. Jakotsu decided he wanted to go for a stroll in the garden.

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The dark haired prince walked outside, the air was crisp and the gardens seemed calm. There were fireflies happily floating through the air and the wind was calm and gentle against the skin. A few of his friends followed him out, if something should happen to him, they would be there.

He strolled through his favorite peony bed down to the small pond on the other side. He could smell the sweet fragrance of the peony blossoms as the dark haired boy walked slowly through the magnificent garden. 

The effeminate boy loved the pond, it was one of his favorite spots in the garden. He would often come there to gaze at his reflection in the calm waters on the night of the full moon and liked to listen to the croaking of frogs and watch the fireflies as they seemed to dance atop the waters, accompanied by their own reflections. There was a mystical presence about that place.

As the young prince neared the edge of the pond to see his reflection, his foot slowly made its way to the corner of the pond. Slowly and surely, his reflection came as he got nearer and nearer to the water's edge. Suddenly, his foot slipped and Jakotsu let out a small yelp as he seemed to fall into the water.

Unexpectedly, Jakotsu could feel himself being caught by a pair of strong arms. He looked up to see the most handsome figure. He was shorter than Jakotsu was and his skin was tan. He had long black hair which was pulled neatly into a braid and his eyes were a beautiful shade of dark blue. A very odd color for someone of the Japanese culture. The tan figure's clothes were covered with peonies. 

The Prince was shocked, he had no idea where this handsome stranger had came from, or how he got there. It appeared as if it were by magic; an illusionary trick of sorts. The figure stood the prince on his feet and then disappeared without a trace, leaving the young man surprised and dumbfounded as he stood there a few feet from the water's edge; fireflies buzzing around him as if they had not even noticed the events that took place.

** Who was that?** Jakotsu put a finger up to his red lips as he thought to himself.

**He was cute...And I didn't even get to thank him. I wonder if anyone else saw that..**

"Are you all right, Prince?" His friends walked over to him, having seen fall and wanting to know if he was injured.

"No...I'm fine.." Jakotsu said lowly, not sure what to think.

The dark haired man began to ask them if they had noticed anything different about his fall. They had replied that they did see Jakotsu fall, and then they saw a glimmer of light, but that was it. The Prince had seen more, much more.

The Prince had seen the most beautiful man he could ever imagine.

Jakotsu, still a bit freaked out by this, decided to go back inside and think for a while. His friends followed him, but soon, they had all left for their own directions, only he and his most trusted friend, Suikotsu remained.

"Oi, Suikotsu." The taller man said.

"What is it, Prince?" The brown haired man asked.

"Could you stay for a while? I want to talk to you."

"All right." 

They walked up to Jakotsu's room and Suikotsu shut the door behind himself.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked.

" Did you see him?" the dark haired boy asked. "He was at least 17. He must have been -- a samurai of the highest order. His dress was covered with my favorite peonies, and he carried a rather large sword. It looked to heavy for him to lift, but he seemed to have amazing strength. Oh I wish that I could have seen him a minute longer, to thank him for saving me from the water! Who can he be? And how could he have got into our gardens, through all the guards?" 

Jakotsu talked throughout the night to his most trusted friend, making him promise not to tell his father. If his father found out about the young samurai, he would behead him for trespassing. The young man didn't want his father to find him.

As one of his other friends were passing by, they could hear the conversation between the two. They had heard what was said through the door, the young man decided to keep it to himself. After all, he was loyal to the prince and did not want to upset him.

The night, Jakotsu lay awake in bed, thinking of the beautiful samurai and wondering if he would ever see him again.

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Well, there's chapter 1. This is probably the third longest chapter I have written in my life, the first would be 7,000 + but it was a one shot. anyway, tell me what you think of this little story I have composed. Tell me what you think and how I am doing. I'd love to know. R&R!!


	2. Rising Sickness

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Well, here we go with chapter 2 of my little fanfic. It's not been too long since I posted it, so far, with no advertising, I've gotten 11 reviews. That's not too bad, I think, I've just got to advertise and I think I'll get more. I'm so lazy, and I put off updates, bleh. I'm trying to hurry though, since this is for a contest after all and there is a deadline to reach, so I must get out of my bleh mood and update, update, update!

As always: SHOUNEN AI WARNING!! If you ignore it, it's not my fault what scars your brain.

Anyway here is chapter 2, R&R!!

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When I'm Apart From You. . .

Chapter 2: Rising Sickness

It had been two days since Prince Jakotsu had met the youthful samurai in the peony gardens, and still he reflected the mysterious man's presence. So many questions had been left unanswered, and there were so many more things that he had desired to tell him.

The youthful prince went throughout his day thinking of nothing more then this handsome stranger and his mystifying appearance. Prince Jakotsu also couldn't forget that his wedding day was inching closer and closer all along. In a way, Jakotsu had always wished for this day, and in another way, he was about to think twice about it. His father had tried so hard to find another man who liked men, and he was grateful for that, though he didn't think much of him.

He _did_ want to please Lord Naraku...

But then again...He couldn't help but feel something for this stranger who's outfit was adorned with peonies and that brief moment they had shared in the sacred garden. It was truly wonderful...

The dark haired man walked through the peony garden, which looked somewhat plain in the sunlight. The peonies were as beautiful as ever and smelled so sweet. The young prince stood amongst the flowers taking in the saccharine smell of their fragrant nectar. He closed his eyes and imagined that night, how he longed to find that young samurai...

After taking a few spins around in the flower field, he flopped down amongst the flowers, sprawled out on the ground. He decided to straighten his position up and put his arms behind his head. The dark haired man stared up at the sky, watching the clouds slowly drift through the blue atmosphere. He sat up when he heard the soft patter of footsteps from a short distance away.

He peered over his shoulder and saw Suikotsu walking up to him.

"What are you doing here, Prince?" He asked. "I thought you had some duties to tend to."

"Can't I have a little fun?" Jakotsu asked in a playful voice. "Being a prince is hard work, even I need a break every now and then."

"I suppose." His friend replied.

The young prince stood up, as he did his head seemed to spin and the area he saw became many fast motion blurs. He swayed back and took an uneasy step backwards. 

"Ugh!" He retorted.

The prince looked a bit pale in the face. He took a few more steps backwards and seemed to trip over nothing and fall backwards. Before he could hit the ground, Suikotsu caught him and seemed fretful. He sat the prince down in the flower field. Jakotsu was holding his head and looking pale and dizzy.

"Are you all right, Prince Jakotsu?" Suikotsu asked.

"I'm fine, I just had a dizzy spell." The prince replied with a smile, still looking a bit pale in the face.

"Are you sure?" His friend questioned.

"I'm sure." The effeminate boy replied. "I probably just got a rush from standing so quickly."

Suikotsu seemed skeptical of his friend's excuse. He had thought there was more then just a "rush" , the prince seemed to be catching some sort of infirmity. 

When Jakotsu got up gradually for the second time, Suikotsu put the dark haired man's arm around his neck. He didn't want him to fall again. 

"Perhaps I should go back inside. I'm supposed to be there anyway." Jakotsu replied, feeling his head spin a little.

"I think you should lie down for a while, you still seem dizzy and unstable." 

"Don't be silly, Suikotsu. I'm fine. " The young prince replied.

Somehow his friend wasn't so sure of that. Perhaps the prince had caught a draft from being outside last night, or not covering up and getting a draft of something. It could have been from one of his friends, one of them could have had a bug and passed it on to the prince. He had remembered that Kyo had been coughing as of lately. Perchance that was it.

The two walked leisurely back into the Adzuchi-no-shiro. They began to advance down the halls, after a while Jakotsu had gotten tired of walking with his arm around his friend as if he were drunk (1) The young prince took his arm from around his friend's neck and decided to try and walk on his own.

"What are you doing?" Suikotsu solicited, unsure if that was a wise decision on Jakotsu's part.

"I can walk, see?" The prince replied.

Suikotsu kept his eye on the slightly swaying prince. He _could_ walk, but it didn't seem to be that well. They walked a fair portion of the hall with minor to no problems. 

As they neared the turn things went a bit differently.....

As Jakotsu walked he could feel slightly warm around his facial area and could slightly sense sweat trickle down the side of his face. His eyes felt a bit heavy and everything seemed so hazy.

**What's wrong with me? ** Jakotsu contemplated to himself as he blinked a few unsure blinks.

The effeminate boy's steps became a bit slower as he could feel himself grow weary. It had never been that hard to walk down the royal halls. It's seemed the more that Jakotsu stepped the more and more complicated advancing became. 

Unexpectedly, the room seemed to sway around, as if it were the shifting tides. It almost felt like Jakotsu's equilibrium had been knocked off balance. (2) At this, the young boy began to freak out. He blinked a couple of times, to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. 

Everything began to spin and Jakotsu could feel his head become light. Soon after that, everything was engulfed in a shroud of darkness.

Suikotsu turned around after hearing a loud **_THUMP_** on the ground a bit behind him. He saw the prince laying there, sprawled out on the ground, pale and lifeless.

"Prince! Prince Jakotsu!" He ran over to his fallen friend and began to yell for help.

"Help, the prince has fainted!! Someone help him!!"

From all around the guards and staff of Lord Naraku came rushing to see what had happened to their beloved prince. Everything was in a mass of confusion and many questions were asked.

"What happened?"

"What has happened to our prince?"

"Is he injured?"

"Is he dead?"

"Oh my! Dear Kami!"

Suikotsu called one of the servants to go and tell Lord Naraku of the current situation. The servant nodded and took off running in the direction of the Lord's chambers.

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A/N from in the story.

These A/Ns go with specific sentences in the fic. Nothing really important just my thoughts on things.

(1) Not that Jakotsu minded that his arm was around another man. ^^;

(2) Getting my equilibrium knocked off has happened to me before in basketball practice.

That's the end of chapter 2. It was a decent read I think. Sure took long enough to write...I'm sooo lazy sometimes. Anyway, be sure to R&R and tell me what you think of my story so far, and a big thanks to all who have reviewed already. 

R&R!!


	3. Postponed Plans

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Tadaa! Here is chapter 3! Man, I need to update more! Well, now you'll know what happened to Jakotsu. The poor guy ^^; Thanks for all of the reviews, there isn't many Jakotsu/Bankotsu fics out there.

Well, enjoy!

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Japanese Dictionary

dono-Honorfic. Even more respectful then -san; the effect in modern-day Japanese conversation would be along the lines of "Milord so-and-so" it indicates both respect and humility.

Shouji- **Sliding doors used in Japanese homes.**

When I'm Apart From You

Chapter 3: Postponed Plans 

The prince gradually awoke from his "spell" and the haze became apparent as he saw his family and friends watching him as he slept. His eyes splintered open and he could see the fuzzy colors that was their faces.

"Jakotsu-sama, are you all right?" Suikotsu was the first one to speak up, standing unswervingly beside his bedside. He wore a apprehensive expression on his face and was troubled for his friend's safety, keeping an agonized eye on Jakotsu.

The young man put a hand to his forehead. He felt as if he were ablaze under all of the brilliant silken covers. The effeminate man lifted his insecure hand and bit by bit he removed the covers away from his body. A bead of sweat tricked down his forehead, he had been feeling worse than before and it had only seemed that his sickness was intensifying, growing more and more profuse as time went by.

Jakotsu could feel the bun in his hair slowly disentangle as the pin was being removed. He could feel a sense of panic go through his mind as his eyes darted wildly about the room, wondering where his little blue hairpin was. It had great sentimental value and his mother had given it to him before she had died.

"My hairpin...Where is it?" The dark haired man glanced around; his sight still unclear from his sickened state. 

Suikotsu handed him the blue hairpin, which had rolled off of the side of the bed and onto the hard, wooden floor. The pin had fallen out of the young man's long, silken hair and rolled a few inches away from the sick prince. 

Jakotsu had never felt so horrible in his life. He didn't desire to do anything, not sleep, eat or anything else. He felt as if he could sleep for an eternity, but it was too hot and stuffy inside of the room for him to get any rest and relaxation, well, if he **_could _**relax. His skin was a creamy white and cold to the touch, though sweat beads were rolling down it. His raven hair lay in a messy half-twisted position that spiraled down his right shoulder and swept down to his upper chest. The young man's breathing was diminutive and prompt. It was as if he was having breathing complications and his breath was restricting his life...The life that seemed to be slowly draining from his body.

Suikotsu was still looking the prince; his condition had seemed so serious. The other servants were gathered around; all eyes were on Jakotsu, even Lord Naraku was watching from beside of the open shouji door. He had been keeping a watchful gaze on the sickly man who lay beneath the white covers. His amber eye following the movements of everyone in the room, silently monitoring all.

"Suikotsu." He called, in a monotone voice that seemed calm and void of emotions.

The brown haired man turned his head to respond to the lord's demand. 

"Yes, Naraku-dono." He replied, casually walked up to the opened shouji door and gave the Lord a courteous half bow.

"The day of Prince Jakotsu's wedding is near." He commented.

"But we can't wed the prince when he's sick. He looks deathly ill, sir." Suikotsu replied.

He knew how upset Lord Naraku must be about the unfortunate turn of events. What would he tell Lord Ako? The wedding would just have to be rescheduled for another more appropriate time and the son of Lord Ako would just have to wait.

"Would you like me to tell Lord Fuusaaki of the recent turn of events?" Suikotsu asked the wavy haired feudal lord.

"Tell him, the wedding will be re-scheduled for a more appropriate time. The prince needs to heal and become stronger, so he'll be fit to rule the land successfully. "

"Yes, Naraku-dono."

Suikotsu turned to tell one of the servants to pack and get ready for a trip to Harima Province to tell Lord Ako of the bad news, until his name escaped the seemingly emotionless feudal lord's lips once again.

"Suikotsu."

The brown haired man turned slightly and gazed back at Naraku.

The lord now stood strong and tall, his long, dark, kinky hair flowed around him as he approached the man's movements slowly.

"I want you to get the best doctors in all of Kyoto. I want the prince well again."

"I'm a doctor was well, sir." Suikotsu added. 

"You can find the cause of his illness as well, then. Go to Kyoto and take someone else to the Harima Province to tell Lord Ako. You'd better not fail this task." The lord turned slowly around, walking calmly back to his position at the door.

Lord Naraku was so secretive, it was almost as if no one ever knew what he was thinking, but he was continually hatching plans of some sort. Suikotsu came to the realization that it was best not to question him and just follow his orders, to act out of line may cost him his life.

"Yes, My' lord." The servant courteously half bowed and excused himself from the room. 

Jakotsu lay there and watched his friend leave thought the arms, legs, heads, and other limbs of the servants and his other friends who were worried about his illness. He also spied his father peering from his position at the door.

The prince had never known much about his father. They had always just done their own different things and mostly he just simply took orders from him with few or no arguments. The prince wondered where he had sent his friend and hoped that he would get better soon.

He seemed to stare at the ceiling, as if he had zoned out, after a while, he slowly closed his eyes and drifted off into a fitful sleep yet again.

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Well, I know, I know, that chapter was extremely short and I apologize for that. I'll write a longer one the next time I update. As always, tell me what you think of my little fanfic, and thanks for the 42 reviews so far ^_~. Thanks for helping make this fic successful. 

R&R!


	4. To See You Again

**Here's chapter 4 for all of those anticipated fans. Sorry for the delay, school is yet again eating away at my fic writing time. I hate school. Anyway here is chapter 4 of When I'm Apart From You...**

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**When I'm Apart From You . . .**

**Chapter 4: To See You Again**

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Jakotsu was sleeping soundly in bed. The sun shone brilliantly outside and its iridescent beams made their way through his window, hitting his pastel skin and causing him to contort his face and make a slight moaning noise.

The dark haired man lightly pulled his covers over his head, hoping to block out the sun's rays from blinding his eyes and disturbing his peaceful slumber.

Since Lord Naraku, Suikotsu and all of the servants had left, the youthful prince thought he could rest in tranquility. It was hard to sleep with all of those people in the room, chatting and moving about. He liked the peace of being unaccompanied.

After a few minuets of silence, Jakotsu became so aggravated with the sun, that he couldn't get back to sleep.

"Damn sun..." He muttered to himself, as he made a pouty face and uncovered his features. 

"I'm never gonna get any sleep around here."

Jakotsu sat up in bed and rested his head on his hand. His hair was in disorder and no longer in the neat bun it had once been in, and the young prince, for once in his life, didn't care about the way his hair looked. He made an unamused look, irritated at the fact that the sun had messed with his plans of rest and relaxation.

** Why can't it be rainy outside? ** He contemplated to himself.

His thoughts were soon interrupted by a quaint tap at the shoji door. 

** What now? ** Jakotsu thought, as if the sun weren't problem enough.

"Jakotsu-sama, I brought some food for you." One of the servants told him through the door.

"Go away," The sick prince pulled the cover over his head. " I don't want it."

"But Jakotsu-sama..." 

"**I said go away**!" The effeminate boy yelled from under the covers.

"Yes...sir..." The servant retorted and walked slowly away.

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The servant walked into the throne room, where Lord Naraku sat, his throne surrounded in darkness. The wavy haired lord seemed to like the darkness for some reason, and there was never any light around his throne, half of the time, you couldn't tell he was there unless he had spoken to one of the fellow members of the royal court.

"Achiro, what are you doing with that food?" Naraku asked the servant, who froze in place.

The lord was perched on his throne, one leg crossed over the other; his elbow was rested on one arm of the chair and his head rested in his hand. As for his long, wavy black hair- it cascaded around him.

"I was taking it back to the kitchen; the prince said that he wasn't hungry," Achiro replied.

"How is my son doing?" The wavy haired man asked; his voice monotone.

"I suppose he's still feeling bad," Achiro looked at the dark place that was Naraku's throne. "I couldn't see him, he had his face covered by sheets."

"I see." Was all that escaped the man's mouth. "That stubborn boy is going to have to eat sometime. I can't have him dieing. If he doesn't eat soon, start force feeding him, you got it?"

"Yes sir." the servant gave a courteous half bow and exited the room, leaving the feudal lord to contemplate to himself once more in the dark abyss he sat in.

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Jakotsu heard the slight rustling around the room he was in. Under the silken covers, a tiny gasp escaped his mouth and he froze in place. His grey eyes widened and his mind was in constant wonder. 

"Hello?" He said nervously. "Who's there?"

He was thinking that it could've been one of the servants, pestering him with food again. He received no answer.

**"Hey!" **He shouted. **"Answer me!"**

Still the room was silent.

**"Damn you!" **Jakotsu was beginning to get angry. He flung the covers off of himself and sat up quickly, causing a slight dizziness as he put a hand up to his forehead. 

The silken sheets, dispersed across the floor. The dark haired man looked about the room, trying to discover any hint of what could've been there.

As he glanced around, Jakotsu noticed something white lying on the ground. It was a peony flower. The young man walked wobbly over to the white flower and bent over to pick it up. 

** It looks like the flowers in the peony garden...But how did it get in here? ** The young prince stood up, holding the flower to his chest and looked around the room, not noticing the form that stood behind him.

He turned around to go back to bed, since the light headed woozy feeling was returning, but nearly ran into the smaller man in front of him.

"It's you..." Jakotsu was surprised to see who the stature was in front of him. His grasp on the peony flower loosened and the blossom gently fell from his hand. 

A tan hand caught the falling flower and placed it gently in Jakotsu's hair, behind his ear. The taller man blushed at the contact his hand made.

"You're the one who caught me by the lake." Jakotsu stated the obvious.

The tanned figure just smiled at him. His midnight blue eyes shimmered in the sunlight. The braided man's features seemed soft and almost unworldly, as if it were a dream.

"How did you get in here?" The prince asked. "My father surely would've seen you."

The figure didn't reply to his question, he simply stood close to the prince, and placed his hands a top the prince's hips. All Jakotsu could do was stare at the adolescent man, and his heart fluttered slightly at his stroke. What was this feeling that dwelled deep within his being?

The taller man's vision seemed to fade as he stared into the mystic azure eyes of this stranger. 

"What's your name? Who are you? Why are you here?" He asked, almost shyly and not noticing the amount of blush that had flushed upon his cheeks.

"My name......" The figure spoke, "Is Bankotsu."

"Ban...kotsu..." Jakotsu murmured. "That's a pretty name."

"You don't need to know anything further."

"I feel dizzy again.." Jakotsu's head began to revolve. "I shouldn't have gotten up out of bed."

The prince fell back, only to be caught by the tanned figure once more. It seemed all too reminiscent to the young man. It was as if he were reliving the events of the pond mishap all over again. 

Bankotsu carried the sick prince to his bed and softly lay him down, being very gentle, and covering him up afterwards.

The tanned man sat backwards in the chair adjacent to Jakotsu's bed, crossing his arms and resting his head in his arms. He watched the prince as he lay there in bed.

Jakotsu, had felt exhausted once again, and he closed his eyes, falling asleep to the stunning stranger that had came back to him.

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**There you go, chapter 4 is up and ready and do to the request I've had, I decided to make all chapters a page longer so therefore, you have more to read. I hope you've enjoyed the latest chapter of When I'm Apart From You, and if you like this story, feel free to read my other stories.**

**Now please R&R and tell me what you think. Remember, even if it is ' Good job' or 'great story' I want to hear from you all!**


	5. The Feudal Lord's Investigation

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Yes, I'm here again with chapter 5. I've been ignoring my fanfics, due to the work I've had in classes. I have to say that the contest is over and this fanfic, though still being updated, had won the best Au fanfic. Big thanks to me huh? ^_^

Well, I'm pleased with myself and here is chapter 5 for you all.

Please R&R!

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When I'm Apart From You...

Chapter 5: The Feudal Lord's Investigation

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A few days after this reoccurrence of events, Jakotsu was still quite ill. He would do nothing but lay in bed, and he refused to eat whatever the servants had placed before him.

Suikotsu had returned from Kyoto, with some of the best doctors he could find. They had spent many a day, and yet Jakotsu's illness, or the cause of it could not be determined. The so called "medical staff" in which Suikotsu devised weren't coming up with anything.

One of the doctors approached Suikotsu. "Suikotsu-sama, "

"Still no cause?" The brown haired man quirked his head.

"I'm afraid not. It's a very obscure diagnosis, and I've never seen anything quite like this. His symptoms are very strewn and miscellaneous, but we shall not give up just yet."

"I know Mr. Yamamoto, but I think Lord Naraku is beginning to grown edgy. The Prince's wedding day has already passed, and he still has yet to make a dent in his recovery."

"I realize that, Suikotsu-sama..." Dr. Yamamoto bowed respectfully and nonchalantly walked out of the room, leaving Suikotsu pondering what to do.

** Lord Naraku is indeed growing impatient, and no one is able to diagnose anything from Jakotsu-sama's state. His condition grows worse, and I fear the worst. **

Suikotsu sat in a chair by the window, resting his elbow in the ledge and putting his head into his hand, rubbing his temples in apprehension. The brown haired doctor had sat there quite a while, still contemplating on what to do about the situation, and what to tell Lord Naraku.

Behind him, the shoji door slid slowly open and a diminutive figure stepped out. 

"Suikotsu, Lord Naraku would like a word with you." The slighter man said.

Suikotsu lifted his head up unhurriedly. ** This is not good. Perhaps Lord Naraku is going to punish me for not being able to treat his son's condition. ** 

"All right, Mukotsu." He replied, and got up slowly to egress the room. 

The two began to walk down the hall, to the entrance of Naraku's throne room. They were in stillness for a few moments, until Suikotsu, inquisitive as to why he was being called, decided to break the silence.

"Mukotsu, " He questioned, looking at the stubby figure beneath him.

"Yes?" The small man looked up at him.

"Why am I being called into Naraku-dono's quarters?" 

"It seems that Naraku-dono is doing some investigating. He told me to gather up everyone who was out with the prince, the night that he slipped and fell into the pond beside of the peony gardens. "

"I see." Was the only reply the doctor gave.

When he walked into the throne room, he found abundant people there, but he was a bit in shock to see someone that he hadn't suspected. 

Looking over the crowd of men, he spied Renkotsu.

**Why is he here? ** Suikotsu thought to himself. ** I thought he and the prince were not on good terms. **

The young man walked silently over to Renkotsu, and put his hand on his shoulder. The bald man slowly turned his head to see Suikotsu standing next to him.

"What is it, Suikotsu?" He asked, in his normal tone.

"Why are you here? I thought you and Jakotsu-sama had some unresolved issues."

"Believe me, it's not my choice, but I was in the peony gardens getting some fresh air that night. Needless to say, Prince Jakotsu and his friends were there as well."

Before they could carry on any bit more of the discussion, they were interrupted by Naraku clearing his throat.

The multitude of men fell silent, and all faced their lord, wondering what he would have to say about the current situation at hand.

"Well." He stood, his deep voice echoing about the large room. "I have called you all here to find out a few things. First of all, if any of you know anything of my son's illness, I demand you tell me. If any of you are hiding something, and I find out, I'll have you punished in the cruelest of ways."

This seemed to fill the room with a bit of dread.

" Second of all, since all of you were around the Prince the night when he fell ill, I would like to know what you observed that night. If the slightest thing, was a hint at an illness, I should be informed."

Suikotsu had thought about what Jakotsu had told him that night, when they were in his room, alone. He had told him about the unexplained foreigner who had appeared and caught him before he was able to collide into the earth. 

__

Was he the cause of Jakotsu's illness somehow?

But he had promised to keep it a secret...

Renkotsu glanced at the brown haired man, who wore a serious expression.

"Something bothering you?" He asked.

There was no reply.

"Hey, I'm speaking to you." The bald man's voice became a bit harsh.

"Oh," Suikotsu seemed to snap back into reality. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

Renkotsu eyed him a bit suspiciously before returning to paying attention to the daiymou preaching on the throne.

** Just what is my son up to anyway? ** The lord thought to himself. ** There must be some reason this mysterious illness fell upon him, and I **will **figure it out. Is there a particular reason he wished not to be married to Lord Ako's son? Does he have a secret lover? Does he have a growing hatred for his betrothed? **

The men began to talk amongst themselves, and it seemed that none of them knew anything, but they all feared what Naraku would do to them if they hadn't told him something or had forgotten to tell him something.

If they failed to advise him of something they should have, they would surely meet their death for failing to report it. 

Renkotsu and Suikotsu stood there, amongst Jakotsu's many friends, and seemed silent for the longest of time. They didn't speak to any of the other males, or even to each other, despite their acquaintance. 

Mukotsu stood at the edge of the throne, trying to remember if he had forgotten any suspects. 

** Why does Jakotsu-sama have to be homosexual? I would have much rather seen a room full of beautiful women, rather then all of these men.** He pondered to himself.

Naraku looked at him.

"Yes, Naraku-dono?" The stubby man asked.

"Are you sure these are all of the people who attended the prince on his way to the peony gardens?" 

"Of course, my Lord." He replied, slightly bowing.

Naraku twisted to the group of men one more.

Suikotsu's thoughts began to wander once more, thinking about whether he should have informed Jakotsu's secrets or not. He decided that he was responsible enough to keep those secrets, and abide by what Jakotsu had said.

The doctor seemed to notice a slight emptiness around him, so he glanced up to see what was going on. The brown haired man looked to his side to see that Renkotsu was gone.

Scouring the room for any hint of the bald man, he had found him right up next to Lord Naraku and Mukotsu.

"What's he doing up there?" He asked himself aloud.

"Naraku-dono." Renkotsu stepped up to the Lord, who slightly turned his head in his path.

"What is it, Renkotsu?" He asked in his usual unaffected voice.

"I have something that I wish to tell you."

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Well, there is chapter 5 for you all. sorry on the long await, I've been trying to figure out how I wanted to do this chapter. I thought I'd be done in my usual time, but I underestimated myself. I could make all of the excuses in the world, but no one really wants to hear that. The chapter is longer though, since I've done this with all of my fanfics as of recently, since too many people were complaining about small lengthed chapters. So, from now on, all of my fics will be 6 pages instead of 5.


	6. Renkotsu Tells All

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Well, here I am, writing on the next chapter of When I'm Apart From You. Sorry for the wait, I've been up to a lot of things as of lately. Reports, prom and a whole lot of senior things as soon as I graduate, I'll have more time to deal with my fanfics.

Anyway, here is Chapter 6 of my little multi-part fanfic.

If you want updates, please join my updates list in my author's name. I also have other fanfics with this pairing, if you want to read them, feel free to leave a review. I love reviews, so please don't hesitate to push that button and leave me something nice to read.

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When I'm Apart From You.....

Chapter 6: Renkotsu Tells All

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"Sir." Renkotsu approached Naraku, who in turn, gave him a slight twist of the head in recognition.

"I do not like to tell secrets..."Renkotsu began, "But I feel that it is my duty to you as well as the prince. "

"I'm listening." Naraku gave the bald servant his full attention.

"Three weeks ago, when the moon was full, everyone was venturing downward towards the pond, where the prince often times loves to sit. The prince staggered and almost fell into the water, when something most abnormal happened."

The feudal lord arched an eye brow in inquisitiveness.

"In an instant, a young samurai caught him and prevented him from falling into the pond. We could all see a glimmer of him, but your son had seen him most distinctively. Before the man could be thanked, he had vanished, in what seemed to be thin air. " Renkotsu noted.

"None of us understand how it was possible how a man would get into the gardens of the prince, the gates of the castle are guarded heavily on all sides and the prince's garden is so much better guarded than the rest that it seems truly incredible that a man could get in. We were asked to say nothing for fear of your lordship's anger. Since that evening it is that our beloved prince Jakotsu has been sick, sir. It is sickness of the heart. He is deeply in love with the young samurai he saw for so brief a space. Indeed, my lord, there never was such a handsome man in the world before, and if we cannot find him the young prince, I fear, will die."

"How is it possible for a man to get into the grounds?" said Lord Naraku . "People say foxes and badgers assume the figures of men sometimes; but even so it is impossible for such supernatural beings to enter my castle grounds, guarded as it is at every opening." 

"I have no idea, sir, but somehow this man is able to penetrate our forces, sight unseen and sense unfelt." Renkotsu added.

Suikotsu had been wandering through the crowd, searching for Renkotsu.

** Where could he have gone to? ** Suikotsu thought to himself as he sifted through the mass amounts of men who seemed to flood the castle room.

After a few long minuets passed of what seemed to be fruitless searching, something caught the young doctor's ears.

" We must find this young samurai, or the prince shall never be well."

Suikotsu's body seemed to snap in the indicated direction of Naraku's voice. His eyes widened a bit.

** Samurai? ** He thought to himself. ** Does he mean the same one who had saved the prince? **

He had seen that Renkotsu and Naraku were engaged in a conversation. 

** Renkotsu..**

**But how did he?**

Suikotsu had let his thoughts run rapid for a few moments. 

** How does he know? Did he see the samurai as well?...No, that couldn't be it. the prince only told me, and no one else had any comprehension of the situation. They just saw the prince almost fall, and seemed to be in a state of shock....None of them truly knew...Except me...**

The memories came back to Suikotsu's brain...

"Oi, Suikotsu." The taller man said.

"What is it, Prince?" The brown haired man asked.

"Could you stay for a while? I want to talk to you."

"All right." 

They walked up to Jakotsu's room and Suikotsu shut the door behind himself.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked.

" Did you see him?" The dark haired boy asked. "He was at least 17. He must have been -- a samurai of the highest order. His dress was covered with my favorite peonies, and he carried a rather large sword. It looked to heavy for him to lift, but he seemed to have amazing strength. Oh I wish that I could have seen him a minute longer, to thank him for saving me from the water! Who can he be? And how could he have got into our gardens, through all the guards?" 

Jakotsu talked throughout the night to his most trusted friend, making him promise not to tell his father. If his father found out about the young samurai, he would behead him for trespassing. The young man didn't want his father to find him.

** But, that conversation was supposed to be between Jakotsu and him...could it have been possible that Renkotsu overheard? **

** But no one was there...At least he had thought....All of the suitors and friends of the prince had went to bed. **

** How could Renkotsu have known? **

**How could he betray the prince? **

** He was sworn into secrecy...**

** How could he? **

But he was....

There he was, talking to Naraku-dono about he and Jakotsu's conversation.

After about 10 more minutes of what seemed to be idle chit-chat, Renkotsu and Naraku departed from each other. 

Renkotsu took a few steps over and talked with Mukotsu for a few minutes. 

Suikotsu sat there, contemplating to himself. How could Renkotsu do this? ...

** I suppose there's nothing I can do for now... ** The doctor thought to himself.

** I guess I'll have to grin and bear it, now that Naraku-dono knows about the samurai, I wonder what he'll try to do when he catches him....If he does.... **

Soon after, Lord Naraku let the others out to conversate among themselves. 

The men stood each in their respected groups. Each talking of what Lord Naraku had been saying and wondering if they had failed in telling him any information that was worthy to him before he gave them their death.

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Well, that's the end of this chapter. It was short chapter. ^^; I promise a longer chapter next time, since this one is so short, but there wasn't really enough to put in this chapter. There was just Suikotsu's thoughts about the recent terms of events. 

I think this story is getting put together pretty nicely. If you want to join an update list, it's in my bio on ff.net.

R&R!!


	7. The Hired Man, Hiogo Maki

**Well, here we go with another chapter!  I apologize for the lack of updating!  My computer had to go to the shop, but I'm back and updating!!  Anyway, I'll be updating regularly all summer long, since my school is out and I've graduated from it all!  And good riddance to that!**

**Anyway here is chapter 7 as always!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter and have a great time reading it.**

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**When I'm Apart From You...**

**Chapter 7: The Hired Man, Hiogo Maki**

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The next night, the skies were clear and the winds were crisp against the warm summer air.  It was dusk and the sky was lit up with a vibrant blood red.  The Prince was standing outside, the light winds blowing through his hair, which was down at the moment.  The raven strands danced in the wind around him in an almost enchanting manner.

His skin was still pale and he was still in the state that he had been since he first fell sick.  None of the medical attention he was getting seemed to be doing any good.

Two musicians were playing instruments for their master – Akifusa Katsuya on the flute, and Astane Touya the koto.  The others were dancing and acting joyous, trying to get their prince in a better mood.

Despite their efforts, though, the Prince still remained as solemn as ever. He seemed unamused and in a sad mood.

Jakotsu walked through the gardens, through the clusters of men who were dancing joyously.  He was enjoying the smell of the peony flowers, as he always had before. Then, as if he had sensed something almost paranormal, he stopped dead in his tracks.

The black haired boy slowly turned his head and spotted Bankotsu, standing amongst the peony beds.  A smile lit up on Jakotsu's face upon seeing the handsome stranger. 

The handsome stranger returned the smile with a soft featured one of his own.

Earlier on that day, a thorough search having been made during the day in the immense peony beds with absolutely no result, not even the sign of a footmark, the thing was increasingly strange.

A consultation was held, and it was decided by the lord of the castle to invite a veteran officer of great strength and renown, Maki Hiogo, to capture the youth should he appear that evening. Maki Hiogo readily consented, and at the appointed time, dressed in black and consequently invisible, concealed himself among the peonies.

I see him. Hiogo thought to himself. But he is off in the distance.  His features are blurred, I should move in for a better look.

Hiogo began to creep slowly up to Bankotsu, so he could make out his features.

Music seemed to have a fascination for Bankotsu.  Whenever he had made any of his appearances, they were all during musical events.  None of the other men whom were dancing seemed to notice Bankotsu standing there.

Hiogo, did, however and still hiding amongst the peonies, waiting for his precise moment to attack.

Watching and waiting for the young samurai.

It seemed that Bankotsu was finding a small rhythm and doing small movements to the music.  He was looking quite suspicious dancing alone, far from everyone, alone in the peony beds.  He was swaying his body back and fourth and doing a graceful turn every once and a while.

He's a good dancer. Jakotsu thought to himself, taking in his features with his eyes as he danced. Pretty sexy looking when he dances as well.

The prince stood there, transfixed on the dancing samurai.  The dusk light silhouetting his body with its crimson lighting, almost as if he were dancing in blood.

Somehow, the prince was tantalized by this.

Everyone else had been acting as if they didn't know that he was there.  Jakotsu didn't seem to care, but Suikotsu, who was leaning against a nearby wall, holding a basin of sake, saw Bankotsu perfectly.  He was keeping a watchful eye on the samurai.

Also, he was watching Jakotsu, knowing of the prince's state and that only Bankotsu had been the soul thing that seemed to be curing his illness.

Be careful, Jakotsu-sama… Suikotsu thought to himself.

Consequently, Touya and Katsuya resumed their concerts, as if nothing were ever happening.

Slowly and surely, people began to notice that the prince was staring at the paranormal wonder that was dancing a slow, shifting dance in the peony beds, seeming not to notice Jakotsu, or the others who had now accumulated in number, staring at him.

It seemed that only the musicians were the only ones who seemed unaware of the samurai's appearance.

Hiogo was still at his place in the peony beds, daring not to make any movements.  He remained silent and motionless.

The men were playing a piece called, "Sofuren," and surely enough, more and more people began to notice the magnificently dressed samurai, with the peonies which were embroidered into his clothing.

Everyone gazed at him, and wondered why Maki Hiogo did not jump up and catch him. The fact was that Maki Hiogo was so much astonished by the noble bearing of the youth that at first he did not want to touch him.

He is…Magnificent...   He thought to himself, his features stricken with awe and shock.

Recovering himself, he began to think things through.  He is of nobility! . . . But Naraku-dono has ordered this of me.  I must fulfill his orders to bring this samurai back to him.  He has, without a doubt, infiltrated the castle. No matter what the rank, he has committed a crime and must be punished.

Hiogo pondered many things to himself, trying to muster the courage and give himself good reasons for going through with assaulting a noble in such a manner.  He reasoned with himself that Naraku would have his head if he didn't perform his task accordingly.

He knew that Naraku would not tolerate failure.

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**Well, it wasn't much, but it was a start, ne?  I hope you enjoyed and I also hope that you'll take time to review, as always.  I want you to review, even if you only have one word to say.  I really want reviews!  They are much appreciated!**

**Well, R&R and please come back to read more!!**


	8. A Cunning Escape

**Well, here is chapter 8 of When I'm Apart From You.  Sorry for being so slow on this fic.  Last time I posted a chapter, I barely got any reviews.  That doesn't matter to me though, I don't care if I get any reviews really, though I think if you read you should give me one and tell me how I'm doing.  I really appreciate reviews, though I don't need them.  This fanfic will probably end in about 10 chapters.**

**Again, sorry for my lack of updates, things have been hectic and I sorta took a vacation from it all, didn't I?  Anyway here is chapter 8 for your viewing pleasure!**

**Anyway, here is chapter 8!**

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**When I'm Apart From You**

**Chapter 8:  A Cunning Escape!**

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I must do what I must.  I don't want to be beheaded by Naraku-dono. Maki Hiogo thought to himself, still taken in by the youthful samurai. 

My orders are clear.  I shall not fail this job.

Recovering him from the shock, and taking it to be in his best interest to do so, Hiogo decided to try and trap the young samurai in his grasp to bring back to Lord Naraku. 

Shooting up from the vast amounts of peonies that he had hidden amongst, the young man took a flying leap at the samurai, who seemed unfazed by such an action.  Bankotsu still kept on dancing, as if there were no appending danger near.

A look of shock lit up Suikotsu's face after seeing Hiogo jump from the peony gardens like a wild cat at its prey.  He nearly spilled the sake he was drinking all over the front of his kimono.  Many others, who didn't know about Naraku's order jumped as well.  Hardly anyone had expected that.  Peony flowers, blossoms, leaves, and petals flew about as Hiogo leapt into the air with animalist grace.

All heads were turned towards him.  It was like everything was happening in slow motion.  Jakotsu gasped and turned his head in what seemed like slow motion, as his face, like many others, lit up in horror.

"Bankotsu…" Only his name could escape his red lips as he was helpless to fend Hiogo off.

After what seemed like second of surprise, the music began to play, as if nothing ever happened, though all heads were still turned to Hiogo and Bankotsu.

Hiogo wrapped his arms tightly around the braided man's waist, trying to secure himself for all his might.  The young samurai just stood there, looking semi confused at Hiogo's actions.

"I've got him!" Hiogo smiled a cunning smile.  "I've got you now.  There's no escape!  Naraku-dono will be most pleased."

Hiogo could feel his eyes becoming heavy as if he were going into a deep sleep.

"Huh?...What's…Happening?" He replied in a weak voice.  "I shall not let…go…"

After a few seconds Maki Hiogo felt a kind of wet steam falling on his face; by degrees it made him faint.  His body went crashing to the ground in the enchanted sleep, along with Bankotsu, whom, in which he refused to let go of. 

Everyone watched as the guards came from everywhere.  The entire courtyard had seen Hiogo's actions and most of them spilt drinks on themselves.  Suikotsu tried to clean the sake spots off of his kimono, as the crowd gathered around Hiogo to see where the young samurai was.  Suikotsu watched as the guards poured out from every possible region of the castle.  As soon as Suikotsu was able to clean himself, well as well as he could, he tried to make his way over before he could get knocked over. 

Jakotsu ran over as well, concerned for Bankotsu's health.  They both pushed through the crowd, trying to get as far to the front as they could. 

"Jakotsu-sama." Suikotsu looked at the prince through the mass amounts of guards and spectators.

Jakotsu grabbed his hand.  "Come on, I'll pull you to the front with me."

"All right."

Both of them made their way through the crowd.

"How did Hiogo know about Bankotsu?" Jakotsu asked.

"Bankotsu?  So that's his name?" Suikotsu replied, being drug through the crowd.

"Yeah." Jakotsu replied.  "But how did they know?!  Only you and I know!"

Suikotsu wore a grim face.  The prince turned to read his expression and wore a look of confusion.

"Hey, what's that look for?"

"Jakotsu-sama, apparently we weren't the only ones.  It seems that Renkotsu was listening to our conversation and told Naraku-dono everything when he was being questioned." Suikotsu looked downward.

"**HE WHAT**!?!"

"Sorry… Jakotsu-sama." The brown haired man looked downward.

The two turned their heads, finally breaking through the crowd to see Hiogo sitting on the ground.

As soon as Hiogo regained all of his senses, he looked around at everyone who had gathered.  He wore a smile on his face, and began to shout out.  "Come, gentlemen! I have caught him. Come and see!" But on looking at what he held in his arms he discovered it to be only a large peony!

Suikotsu and Jakotsu wore a look of relief and confusion.  They stared strangely at Hiogo, who was indeed, hugging the large peony as if it were his prize.

The young man blinked at the looks of confusion on the members of the crowd's faces.

"Huh?"  He looked from side to side, examining the members of the crowd, the prince and his friend standing near the front.  

He then looked down at the peony flower.  

"**GAH!**"

The man threw the flower a bit away from him, it landed on the ground a few inches away from his body, landing in front of Jakotsu and Suikotsu's feet.  Hiogo looked both bewildered and horrified at his failed attempt.

By this time the Lord Naraku had arrived at the spot where Maki Hiogo sat and so had many of the servants of the prince.  Renkotsu also showed up, but stayed near the end of the crowd.

**_To be continued…_**

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**Well, there is chapter 8, two more chapters to go.  Yeah, I know, this doesn't seem like the end, and it might seem a little rushed, but it was how everything was happening in Jakotsu and Suikotsu's point of view.  The scene was rather fast paced.  Well, hope to bring you another chapter soon. Sorry for being so late, things have been happening at a fast pace.  I'm going to try and update my other Inuyasha fanfics as well.  **

**I also need to do something with my Sailor Moon fanfic. ;  Feel free to read my other works if you like.**

**I hope to see you all later!**


	9. Recovery

**Well, here I am with the next to last chapter.  This has been a great fanfic and I thank you all for your kind reviews!  Sorry that the updates have been slow, but things have been happening over the summer and stories were piled (still are, I've got 8 current stories that I'm working on) I hope to wrap up a few of them.  Two are on hiatus and the others are being worked on constantly.**

**There are three of my stories that are coming to an end and going to be finished in no time soon.  I've got a sequel coming up and a whole lot of other things in store.  I have two stories that I want to get up as well.  I most certainly hope that I can accomplish these things soon.  But as for now, enjoy the latest chapter of my story 'When I'm Apart From You'  **

**Thank you for reviewing and check out some of my other stories!**

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**When I'm Apart From You**

**Chapter 9: Recovery**

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As Naraku neared the front of the crowd, he eyed Hiogo, holding the giant peony flower and giving it a look of shock.  He looked up at his lord with an even bigger look of shock. 

"Naraku-dono…" Were the only words the man could muster.

Everyone in the crowd was silent except for a few small murmurs and soft words here and there.  The group of people seemed awed and mystified by what had happened. 

_'He just…disappeared..' _Suikotsu thought to himself.  _'I wonder what's going on here.  He must be some type of spirit or something.  No normal being could have preformed such an act. '_

Naraku stood there, and looked on at the sight, trying to analyze the situation as best he could.

He slowly bent down and took the peony from Hiogo and held it to his face, giving it a slight sniff.  Jakotsu stood a few feet behind him, with Suikotsu at his side.  The young prince held one finger to his painted lips and continued to look on with confusion.

_'Interesting…He just…disappeared.' _Jakotsu thought to himself as he looked down at the man sitting on the ground, awaiting his impending fate at the hands of his father.  _'I wonder where Bankotsu went…I hope he's still all right…'_

The prince looked up.

_'Wherever he is…'_

"Ah! It is as I said. No fox or badger spirit could pass our guards and get into this garden. It is the spirit of the peony flower that took the form of a prince." Naraku explained, knowing he was right in his first assumptions.

He turned to Jakotsu, Suikotsu and the other servants and said. , "You must take this a compliment, and pay great respect to the peony, and show the one caught by Maki Hiogo kindness as well by taking care of it."

The lord handed the peony to his son; the black haired boy held the peony and looked down at it with awe.  It was the most beautiful peony that he had ever seen.  Suikotsu looked at it was well, there was something…Magical about it.

Jakotsu carried the peony flower back to his room.  His brown haired friend fetched a vase and some water to put it in.  A few minuets later, Suikotsu re-entered the room with the vase and sat it near Jakotsu sleeping quarters.  It sat there, almost beside of his pillow.  The prince bent down and placed the flower in the vase and smiled. 

_'Bankotsu…'_

Jakotsu felt as if he had his love right next to him. 

As the days passed, Jakotsu began to notice an improvement in him.  He awoke every morning feeling more and more revitalized.  The peony flower seemed to grow more and more beautiful day by day.  Every day, Jakotsu attended to the peony flower with the utmost care, making sure that the bud was comfortable with its surroundings.  Like Jakotsu, the flower began to grow stronger and stronger, instead of fading away.

At last the prince recovered.  He became radiantly handsome, while the peony remained in perfect bloom, showing no sign of dying.

Every day, the prince would stare at the peony for hours at a time, feeling the magical glow from the peony, everyone around the castle could tell that Jakotsu looked and felt better as well.  He even got compliments from Suikotsu about his recovery.

Jakotsu remembered his conversation the day before with the young doctor.

**_"Hey Jakotsu-sama!"_****_ Suikotsu waved from across the courtyard._**

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**_"Oh, Ohayo Suikotsu-kun!"_****_ Jakotsu waved back._**

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**_"Hey, how are you feeling? You seem so different from when you were ill.  I may not be a very good doctor, but you've made a miracle recovery!"_**

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**_"You look good as always, Suikotsu…But, what do you mean?..."_**

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**_"Nothing really, just that you look different._****_  You know, there's just something about you.  You seem more lively then usual.  Did something happen to yo-"_**

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**_Suikotsu was cut off by the guard, asking him to care for a sick warrior.  Suikotsu wiped the sweat from his head and walked to the door.  "Well, better be getting back to work.  Nice talking to you and good luck!"_**

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**_Suikotsu gave a wave before returning to walking down the hall to see that sick patient._**

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'_It feels nice to receive so many compliments.' _Jakotsu told the flower. _' But__ it's also nice not to be confined to that damned bed.  It was getting boring in here, cooped up all by myself.'_

Jakotsu smiled and ran a finger over the soft petals of the flower, marveling at the softness of which. 

_'I wonder what will happen next...and if I'll see you again…Bankotsu…' _Jakotsu looked up, his finger tips still brushing against the soft petals of the peony.

_'I hope that I can be able to see you again.  I hate it when I'm apart from you.  It's so lonely here…And I don't know what I'll do about the wedding…That's right!'  _Jakotsu's eyes widened.  _'I forgot about the wedding!'_

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**There's chapter 9 completed!  This chapter is more on time then the last one, huh?  Anyway, the last chapter will come soon!  Please R&R and tell me what you think of the fanfic so far.  I really hope that you all leave me a review, no matter what it is!  I want to know your opinion of this fic so far.  The last chapter is to come and after that, there will be more Bankotsu and Jakotsu things, so keep on looking.**

**Oh, and be sure to check out some of my other fanfics!**

**R&R!**

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	10. Separation

**Well, here is chapter 10.  This is the final chapter of When I'm Apart From You.  It's been a blast, and now this story is completed, but don't worry, I'll have other Jakotsu/Bankotsu stories up!  I do have some one shots, such as 'Fireflies in the Dark' and 'China Rose' Be sure to check them out!**

**I'm writing this chapter and chapter 9, so I can catch up on my writings.  This is the fanfic I update 3rd (I update by reviews!)  Anyway, it's been fun and thank you all of my faithful reviewers.**

**Here is the last chapter!**

**As always be sure to enjoy and review!**

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**When I'm Apart From You**

**Chapter 10:  Separation**

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Jakotsu had almost forgotten about the wedding!  How could he have been so stupid!

The prince tried to make excuses as much as he could to put off the wedding, and those excuses worked for quite a while.

One day, he was confronted by Suikotsu about some special visitors in the castle.

The brown haired man walked into the prince's room.  He saw the prince, who seemed fascinated with the large peony flower, doing the same thing he did everyday, running his fingers over the soft, intricate petals and smiling a warm smile to himself and to the flower.

"Jakotsu-sama…"

The young man turned his head and gave his friend a curious look.

"Yeah?" He replied, taking his hand away from the peony flower, leaving it unattended in the vase.

"I have some bad news, I'm afraid…" Suikotsu looked down.

"What?" Jakotsu stood up and looked at his friend.

"The visitors here…They are Lord Ako and his family…" The brown haired man explained.  "They are here about the wedding.  Since you made a speedy recovery and you were going to be wed before you fell sick, they had waited.  I suppose Naraku-dono had told them that you recovered."

"Damn it…And I wanted to see Bankotsu again…I love him…" Jakotsu wore a sad expression.

"You loved Lord Ako's son as first.  Besides, you know that Bankotsu is just a spirit, correct?" 

"I guess."

"You know that you cannot get out of this.  You have to marry his son, you might not like it now, but you know that you couldn't possibly marry a spirit." 

"I know, but I wished that I could see Bankotsu one more time before I got married."

"Well, you must prepare yourself, Jakotsu-sama. " Suikotsu advised.  "You did love Lord Ako's son first, if you go in there not wanting to be wed, he might just think that you've been committing adultery the entire time you've been sick.  You should think about the road you've chosen, and the consequences that you've chosen as well, when journeying down that path."

"I will." Jakotsu pouted.

And Jakotsu did ,in fact, think about what he had done.  The time came for Jakotsu to be wed.  There was no way out of it, and Jakotsu accepted this.  He didn't see Bankotsu for the longest of time, and began to worry, but not forgetting his vow to Lord Ako's family.  Three days later, Jakotsu was wed to Lord Ako's son.

One day, after returning from his 'honeymoon' the young prince came back to his room to tend to the peony flower that he had cared for so long.

……..

….

.

.

Jakotsu walked in happily and said his goodbyes to his new husband.  He was happy and giggling like a maniac.  The black haired man turned around to see the peony flower and his face lit up with both concern and shock.

"The flower….it's dead…"

The young man ran up to the shriveled bud.  The flower lay drooping in its vase, the stem a brown color and crunchy to the core.  The leaves were withered and dry; most of them had fallen off into the floor.  There was good amount of water left; Jakotsu had always made **sure **that the flower was taken care of quite well.

Still the flower was dead.

The aura of warmth that came from the flower was gone as well.  It was cold.

'If_ the flower is dead…then what about Banktosu?'_Jakotsu thought to himself, envisioning the worst.

………………………………….

The truth is no one really knows what happened to Bankotsu.  They never figured it out.  Did he leave or did he die?  Why did he appear in the first place? 

Several days after Prince Jakotsu's loss of the peony flower.  He never saw Bankotsu again.  The villagers always after this, instead of speaking of the Prince Jakotsu, or Jakotsu-sama, called him Botan Ouji or Peony Prince.

Owari

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**Well, that's the end.  I really hate to end it though, but sadly all things must come to an end somehow.  Sorry for the shortness, I was just tying up loose ends wherever I could.  I hope you'll check out my other fanfics.  Thank you all for reading, thanks TailfluffGirl for being my beta this whole time, and thanks to all who helped support this fanfic.**

**For the final time, leave a last review, telling me what you think.  **

**Please R&R!**

**See you in fanfiction!**


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